On August 21, United will make two changes to its MileagePlus program that don’t affect everyone – but will sting those they do affect.

On one hand, stopovers will no longer be possible on award flights, meaning the ability to combine two or more destinations on a single trip. On the other hand, elite customers booking a full fare in Economy Class will no longer receive immediate confirmation for upgrades, but only after the usual procedure before departure – with the corresponding uncertainty about which cabin they will ultimately be allowed to travel in.

From November 24, the program will also no longer publish any award tables for upgrades. It is enough to look at what happened to the prices for award flights after no more award charts were published to gauge what this will likely mean…